There is a lot going on in our world these days and the future is concerning for most. To start with, we have a new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson (R-LA). What does he stand for? He opposes abortion and same sex marriage. He’s an ally of former president Donald Trump. He refused to certify the 2020 presidential election results. Johnson has said, “I am a Christian, a husband, a father, a lifelong conservative, a constitutional law attorney and a small business owner, in that order, and I think the order is important.” This is a brief overview of what this man thinks and believes.
On to Syria and Iraq. The fact is the U.S. is under attack, and the White House and media have pretty much stayed silent for days. Late last week, the White House admitted Iran was involved. The U.S. does have carrier fleets in the Mediterranean Sea. There have been attacks close to bases in Iraq and Syria, and they have been increasing.
The truth is America is under attack from many directions, including our wide-open borders, thanks to Obama and Biden. How many Iranian-trained Hamas terrorists have crossed over, leaving us all open to terrorist attacks? In recent years, the only time we haven’t been under threat was when Trump was President. Today, we are under a real threat.
And in the states, Lewiston, Maine became a ghost town as the manhunt continued, until the shooter was found dead. Our prayers for the victims and families,
And certainly we won’t ignore it’s alleged that J.B. Pritzker is a possible candidate for the 2024 presidential race. Is this just speculation? According to the New York Times, it could happen, God help us. He’s as bad as Obama and Biden, if that’s possible.
Moving on to our friend, Jeff Bullard.
Are We Asleep Again?
By Jeff Bullard, Jefferson County Sheriff
Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who planned the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, would reportedly write in his diary about the United States, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” In the early morning hours of October 7 of this year, terrorists from the organization Hamas attacked southern villages in the nation of Israel. Israeli citizen, author, and news commentator Amir Tsarfati, called it Israel’s 9/11 or Pearl Harbor and repeated the historic phrase that Hamas has awakened a sleeping giant. Now, the terrorists are feeling the resolve of the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). Our federal government has rightly shown support to Israel, which makes the U.S. even more the next potential target.
With the Israeli-Hamas war less than two weeks old, we have already learned valuables lessons, most of it in the first 24-hours, for our own nation’s defense. Let’s take a look at what is known at this time that might teach those lessons to people willing to pay attention.
1) Understand the threats are real, deadly, and strong border security is crucial. The surprise attack on Israel has already been labeled a victory for Hamas and a failure on the part of Israel’s defense. Israeli forces were caught totally off guard. This was accomplished by possibly a few thousand terrorists, but the actual number is not public yet that I could find.
Understand, it has been estimated that through our own nation’s southern border, with laxed security the past couple of years, over one million terrorists have made it into our country. Criminals that want us either dead or under their bootheel. What kind of damage can be accomplished if even 1,000 of those are working together? We have to tighten up border security now, and not a moment later. Since the surprise attack in Israel, we have been getting regular alerts from our government that copycat attacks could happen here as well. We have to strengthen our enforcement of immigration laws and demand that sanctuary states or cities for illegal immigrants be abolished federally.
2) Technology is not the end all answer to security. Israel not only had a formidable wall at their border but had a lot of video surveillance covering it. Hamas was still able to defeat this system and sneak in undetected using low-tech methods. Too much trust is placed in technology. It must be balanced with the involvement of properly trained and equipped human beings.
3) Government failed to protect the people. What I did not realize, until the COVID-19 era, was how dependent on government Israeli citizens are. They have one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates on the planet. The people expected the approximately 300 soldiers and supporting police near their southern border to keep them safe. Instead, terrorists came into their homes and committed atrocities so horrible that one would question how any person calling themselves human would be capable of it. Our citizens must understand and take ownership of the concept that they are their families’ first responders to any threat. Further, communities must take a hard look at what they can do when their peace officers are not available to protect them.
4) Strong gun control laws in Israel left many families unable to defend themselves. It appeared that many of the Israeli families butchered and/or abducted were unarmed. I learned, to my surprise, that Israeli gun control laws make it almost impossible for civilians to be armed. This might just be the biggest failure on the part of their government. You know my stance regarding an armed populace; it is safer than an unarmed one. History, including this recent event, has consistently proven this.
Thousands of terrorists were able to attack by land, sea, and air and were virtually untouched during day one of their assault. The soldiers and police were not only ineffective but were slaughtered right along with the civilians. There appeared to be little to no cooperative efforts from any civilian groups to try and protect their homes. In some videos, we could see a very small number of civilians firing from their windows at their attackers, but then they would be overwhelmed by superior opposing firepower. Early reports revealed only the village of Nir-Am successfully thwarted the attacks when their security coordinator took quick action, arming her 12-person security team. Otherwise, many lives would have been lost unnecessarily.
There must be better efforts, at the local level, for cities, towns and villages to create communication and coordination strategies for civil defense forces. I would ask the mayor and councils or boards of each city and village in our county to consider this. I am not asking to create a registry of citizens with guns who were willing to fight, because then the state would want it. I am suggesting, though, each community needs to develop a way to put a call out to their citizens, in a time of need, to get volunteers to step forward, and quickly. The militia in the days of our nation’s founding were referred to as “Minute Men”, because they swore to be ready for service “at a minute’s warning.” At the Sheriff’s Office, we would be willing to assist.
Are we asleep as a nation and community, or are we awake? Are we paying attention that threats are growing? We need to be prepared to the best of our ability. First in our homes, then in our communities, and we must vote for candidates who will help us do this, not try and make us more dependent on government, which in turn, makes us less armed, less prepared, and less safe. Most importantly, pray for the safety and blessing of Israel. God told Abraham in Genesis 12:3 about his future nation of Israel, that, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Let’s be on the blessed side.
Feel free to contact me at sheriffjeffbullard@gmail.com. Thank you and stay safe everyone.
As always, Sheriff, thank you for your wise contribution! Until next week.
